The Morning Fix

Joaquin Phoenix is back! Mel Karmazin prepared to bolt!

After the coffee. Before finding out why I wasn't invited to Fashion Week.

The Skinny: I watched about 20 minutes of "The X Factor" and here's my take: More performances (good and bad) and fewer attempts at creating behind-the-scenes drama. Thursday's headlines include the ongoing mystery of who is behind "Innocence of Muslims," Joaquin Phoenix is back at work and SiriusXM chief executive Mel Karmazin may be out of work soon.

Daily Dose: Comcast executive Jeff Shell's resume just got a big bump. Shell, president of NBCUniversal International, has been nominated by the president to join the Broadcasting Board of Governors as its chairman. The BBG is an independent government agency that oversees nonmilitary international broadcasting. Shell will not be giving up his day job if his nomination goes through.

An Alan Smithee film. A mystery surrounds "Innocence of Muslims," the ultra-low-budget movie being cited as a cause of violence in Libya, Egypt and elsewhere in the Muslim world. Filmed and released in Southern California, little is known about who was behind it. A Sam Bacile has taken credit but there are doubts about whether that is the case. As of late Wednesday, speculation centered on a group of Middle Eastern Christians. More on the film from the Los Angeles Times and New York Times.

He's still here. Joaquin Phoenix is getting high praise for his work in "The Master," a movie about a cult leader. Remember a few years ago when Phoenix was doing an Andy Kaufman, acting bizarrely and claiming he was leaving acting, which was all part of a mock documentary called "I'm Still Here"? Well, never mind. A look at Phoenix's comeback from USA Today.

Tuning out. SiriusXM Radio chief executive Mel Karmazin doesn't expect to stick around after Liberty Media takes over the satellite radio broadcaster. Liberty will soon own more than 50% of the company and Karmazin, who doesn't like working for other people, has indicated that while he's open to the idea of staying, he expects that Liberty will want someone else. More on Karmazin and Liberty from the Los Angeles Times and New York Post.

I am sorry for causing you trouble. On Wednesday, we noted that NBC's morning show "Today" was taking some heat for opting not to cover the moment of silence for victims of the Sept. 11 attacks in favor of an interview with Kardashian mom Kris Jenner. NBC News President Steve Capus sent a note to affiliates apologizing for any heat they may have taken from viewers for that decision. However, he still stuck by the decision, noting that while it covered the moment of silence last year (the 10th anniversary), that was the first time it had done so since 2006. Details on the note from the New York Times.

Changing his mind? Previously, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said he had no issues with broadband providers charging extra for heavy Internet users. But at an event in Silicon Valley, the chairman seemed to express concerns. According to GigaOm, when asked about data caps, Genachowski said, “We should all be concerned with anything that is incompatible with the psychology of abundance.” Guess that means I should ask for a raise.

Role reversal. Usually, famous and powerful people accuse newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. of playing fast and loose with the facts or of getting stories using questionable methods. Now the shoe is on the other foot. The Australian reports that Lachlan Murdoch, son of Rupert and a News Corp. board member, is suing Fairfax Media because of a story in the paper's Sydney Morning Herald accusing him of negligence in his role as chairman of Channel Ten, an Australian network.